Elderly Patients Foster Need for Acute Pain Therapeutics

Thursday 28 June 2012, Amsterdam

Elderly populations are boosting the market for acute pain medications, as chronic disease and vulnerability to accidents demand ever-increasing levels of care, according to the Acute Pain Therapeutics - Pipeline Assessment and Market Forecasts to 2019 report.

The report states that while cheap and effective generic drugs set a high standard for upcoming products, research is still going strong in the hope of discovering a revolutionary new blockbuster painkiller.

Increasing elderly populations in the US, Japan and Europe will contribute to an increase in the incidence of acute pain, powering the market for medications. An estimated 420 million individuals were aged over 65 years in 2000, and this figure is projected to increase to reach 973 million by 2030.

Elderly patients are more prone to injuries such as bone fractures and chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis, and undergo higher numbers of surgerical procedures such as joint replacements. As life expectancy increases worldwide, the increased use of drug therapies is certain, promising a lucrative future for companies producing acute pain therapeutics.

Acute pain is currently treated using several drug classes effective in decreasing pain intensity by a siginifcant level, namely opioids, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs), COX2 (Cyclooxygenase2) inhibitors, weak COX1 (Cyclooxygenase1) and COX2 inhibitors, and local anesthetics.

However, market growth is expected due to the upcoming launch of drugs in the late stages of clinical development, such as Dyloject (diclofenac sodium fast-push intravenous bolus injection) in the US, Ketotransdel (ketoprofen 10% Cream) and MRX-7EAT (etodolac + lidocaine topical patch), which all utilize novel drug delivery technology.

These molecules could overcome the side effects of currently available products, and could therefore significantly impact the market after their approval and entry into the market. The acute pain pipeline contains a total of 42 molecules, with 11 in the late stages of clinical development, promising further breakthroughs in the years to come.

The report estimates that the acute pain therapeutics market held a value of $10,470m in 2011, and is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.2% over the next eight years, reaching $15,701m by 2019.

This report is an essential source of information and analysis on acute pain therapeutics, identifying the key trends shaping and driving the global market. It also provides insights on the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to significantly alter the market positioning of the current market leaders. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insights on the pipeline products within the global acute pain therapeutics
sector.

This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis by a team of industry experts.